Improvement in fare-box for vehicles



UNITED STATES PAT-aigrwCLfgrcn.

JOHN B. SLAWSON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN FARE-BOX FOR VEHICLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 105,005, dated July 5, 1870.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN B. SLAwsoN, of the city, county, and State ot' N ewYork, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Omnibus Fare-Box; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification.

It is the object of this invention to provide a box for the reception of passengers fare on omnibuses, which shall enable the proprietors of those vehicles to dispense with the service of conductors, and thereby materially lessen the expense of running them; and it consists in certain sliding plates and stationary shelves and transparent plates in a suitable box, so arranged as to receive and protect the fares, and detain them for the inspection of both passengers and driver, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

In the accompany ing drawing, Figure 1 represents a vertical section on theline x a: of Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the box. Fig. 3 is a horizontal section of Fig. l on the line y y. Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of Fig. l on the line z z.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

In this example of my invention I show the box made in two parts, A and B, A being placed within the omnibus for the inside passengers, and B on top of the omnibus for outside passengers; butmy present invention relates to the lower portion or part, A.

C represents the box, which is made of snitable size, and of either wood, metal, or other suitable material. D is the roof of the omnibus, and may be the cover of the box.

The two parts A and B are so connected that a fare introduced into the outside part, B, will be received by A, and deposited the same as though introduced from withinthe omnibus. E is the front side of the box, which is placed facing the passengers in the omnibus. The fare is introduced by the passengers themselves through the aperture F under the shelving cover G. This cover G affords protection to the fare, as it prevents the introduction of a stick or other instrument in a downward direction for abstractin g it. In passing up a piece of fractional currency the end of the piece will naturally strike the bottom of the overhanging shelf H,whicl1 will turn it forward in a horizontal direction.

If the paper is new and stiff, the end will ystrike the glass plate I and would lodge; but this difficulty is provided for by placing that plate inclined and obliquely across the box,

so that, when the paper strikes it, it will slideA along on the glass plate until the space gets wide enough to receive the whole piece, when, having nothing for a support, it will drop by its own gravity onto the inclined glass plate J, and slide from thence onto the yupper sliding plate, K, where it is temporarily arrested and allowed to remain for the inspection ot' both passengers and driver. It rests in full View of the passengers by means of thetransparent-glass plate L, and in view ofthe driver, who looks through the transparent plates M and J.

On the under side of the plate K-there is a rack, and on the upper side-of the plate N there is another rack. O is a pinion on the shaft P, which engages with both racks, as seen. Ris a strap, which is connected with the upper plate, K, and passes through the side of the box, and within reach of the driver. When the driver sees that a passenger has deposited the proper fare, he pulls the strap, which draws back the plate K, while it throws forward the plate N. S is the money-drawer.

When the plate Kis drawn back, the money may fall directly into the drawer, or be received by the plate N. When the driver lets go the strap, the plates are forced back to their former position by the recoil ofthe spring or springs T, which had been compressedin the act ot' pulling the strap. These plates K and N are arranged and operated in this manner for the purposev of preventingthe introduction of a stick or any instrument for the abstraction of the money when the plate K is drawn back. If the money has lodged on the lower plate, the return movement of K deposits it in the drawer.

U is a shelf directly below the orice F, which prevents the introduction of any instrument for the purpose of abstracting the fare from either of the plates K N or from the dawer. Its lower edge, V, may be a cuttinge ge.

0 The groove W in the shelf H prevents the introduction of a stick or any flexible instrument from above or through the part B, as the end of such instrument will catch there and stop its downward progress.

For the arrangement of the shelves and y 1n the part B and of the money-drawer S in the part A no novelty is claimed in the present invention.

By this arrangement I am enabled to apply to omnibuses the system of paying fare now 1n such successful operation on street-cars, where the fare is deposited by the passenger, and arrested temporarily on its downward passage to the money-drawer for the inspec- J. B. SLAVVSON.

'Witnesses:

ALEX. F. ROBERTS, GEO. W. MABEE. 

